Protector
by MW3addict
Summary: Set a few months after Eclipse: After being mistakenly attacked by wolves, Jasper is in desperate need of his father's help...and what exactly does Jasper get up to at night? Carlisle certainly underestimates his newest son's views on the family.
1. Chapter 1

**Another plot was bugging me and I knew I had to get it written down to make it go away. And I couldn't resist another Carlisle and Jasper oneshot. I still don't think there is enough of them. I hope you enjoy this fic. D**

**Just like my other stories, the vampires in my story **_**do **_**bleed because they drink blood so it's gonna be in there system, right?**

**For those waiting for an update on 'silent boy', I'm so sorry for taking so long. I promise that I will begin writing the next chapter now this is finally uploaded. This has taken me a week to type up.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight.**

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><p><span><strong>Carlisle's POV<strong>

It was dark out and most of my family were home. Edward and Emmett were playing video games in the gaming room whilst Esme and I relaxed in the lounge, watching TV. Rosalie was messing around with one of the cars in the garage whereas my other two children, Alice and Jasper, were out in the forest.

For some reason, this is how they spent most nights but they weren't out hunting. The only thing that I was aware of was that this was Jasper's doing and Alice was just there to keep him company. When I questioned Edward about it, he simply told me 'it's just one of Jasper's many habits that he has to do to keep himself sane'. That had only made me want to ask more questions but I didn't. I knew how private my newest son was and it had been hard enough to gain his trust when he first joined us and after all he's been through, I didn't want to break that.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Emmett's cheer as he 'beat' Edward at another game. Emmett tends to crush the Xbox controller if he loses too many games which is why Edward has been forced to let him win whenever he begins to 'hear' frustration from him. At least that way, we won't have to buy a new controller every few days.

I hear another sound, this time it was the sound of my phone ringing. I take it out of my pocket to find Alice's name on my screen.

"Hello?"

"Carlisle, you have to come quick!" Alice demanded in a panicky tone.

I rose from my seat quickly as my wife gave me a concerned gaze.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's Jasper. He's gone...he's ...he just ran off" I could hear Alice struggling for words.

"Where are you?" I asked her.

"Half way through the forest. Right by the treaty line. Please hurry. I think Jazz is in trouble" Alice answered in a rush.

What was she doing so close to the wolves territory? They were both aware of the danger and I could already sense trouble.

"I'll be right there" I stated.

I hung up my phone and called out for the rest of my children. I had a bad feeling about this and I wasn't going to take any chances. Emmett and Edward were in the living room in an instant and Rosalie entered just a little later.

"What is it?" Emmett questioned.

"Alice needs us" Edward answered automatically.

"Well then what are we waiting for?" Rose asked.

We were out of the house and into the forest within seconds, heading toward the area Alice claimed to be. Edward had sped up once he had heard her mind and he went off ahead of us. By the time we reached the two of them, Edward was comforting Alice who looked panicked half to death.

"Jasper chased a nomad off into the quiluette's side of the forest. He told Alice not to follow" Edward informed us.

He looked rather strained and I couldn't tell if it was because he was hearing anxious thoughts or because he was hiding something.

"Edward?"

At my encouragement, he continued. "We need to get him out of there. He's in trouble, Carlisle. Alice heard growls and howls but it all got quiet as they ran further away" he finished.

This wasn't good. If Jasper was on their land, they would kill him without hesitation. What on earth had he been thinking? He knew the danger he would be in. It was pointless to be mad at him now. It would do know good as every second we spent standing around was another second Jasper was in danger.

"I'm going in there" I muttered.

"On your own?" Emmett questioned.

"Carlisle, you'll get yourself killed" Esme argued, the worry evident in her voice.

"Look, if I confront them on my own, I may not pose as a threat. It was only a few weeks ago that I healed Jacob and they wont forget that"

I knew that I wasn't as much of a threat to them than the rest of my family were and there must have been the smallest amount of trust that allowed them to let me pass onto their territory to help Jacob. I just pray that the trust is still there. Unfortunately this wasn't just about that tiny bit of trust they had with me because Jasper was a whole different story. I knew the wolves saw Jasper as a threat with his odd animalistic and skittish behavior; in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if my son was the first to attack. He was always on edge with people he was around everyday so being in a dangerous animals territory, those of whom are considered enemies, would only increase the chances of a trigger for his aggression.

It was common to here the words 'Jasper' and 'aggression' in the same sentence and although we have managed to calm him down over the years, we haven't managed to fully tame him. Just a scent of a vampire outside of our family would cause him to go absolutely crazy. I've seen it happen many times before. An example would be when Jasper came across his first nomad after a few weeks of joining the family which was when he was at his most dangerous. He had freaked out and although the nomad hadn't given any impression that he was an enemy, Jasper had ran out and attacked him and it had taken all of my and Emmett's strength to pull him off and keep him restrained. It had all been about protecting Alice and coming to think of it, a similar incident is happening now.

Jasper senses an unfamiliar scent, he runs after the nomad and decides that crossing the quiluette's territory to destroy the threat is better than letting him get away. Jasper always had a problem with unfamiliar vampires and it was just another thing that his past had caused him.

"At least let me go with you" Edward begged.

I debated on letting him. He was a familiar face but because of the Bella situation, that only caused him to be more of an enemy. But then again, his mind reading could be used as an advantage.

"Then it's settled" Edward stated.

I turned to the rest of my family, seeing the worried expression my wife was wearing, and the way Emmett was trying to look calm although I knew that Jasper was his favorite brother and he was worried about him. Rosalie, who usually seemed cold, was clearly concerned about the situation and why wouldn't she be? She knew that these wolves were dangerous and given the choice, they would probably kill Jasper and she had a tight bond with him; one that was difficult to explain. And Alice? If possible, she looked like she was going to burst into tears at any given moment and the one person who had the power to calm her down was the same person we were all worried about.

"Stick around this area but _do not _enter the quiluette's side of the forest. I don't want anybody else in danger" I told them.

I heard a loud yelp in the distance followed by a feral growl. I saw Edward wince at the sound, indicating that this wasn't good. We needed to get there and fast. I wasn't going to waste anymore time so with a nod to my family, I took off into the other half of the forest and heard Edward follow behind me.

Despite being faster than me, Edward knew that it was safer to let me take the lead. I didn't want another one of my children hurt. I followed the sounds of whines and growls while Edward listened out for thoughts. I slowed down once the animal noises got louder as it was a dangerous move to just run out in the middle of a fight. As much as I wanted to get Jasper somewhere safe, rushing in could just get him killed.

"Carlisle!" Edwards yelled.

I suddenly found a light brown wolf stand in my way but considering the circumstances, he didn't look too dangerous.

"Seth" I whispered.

He watched us warily. Actually, those cautious eyes remind me of Jasper and the many times his eyes tended to watch me as if he was waiting for me to hurt him. After 50 years in the family, that look was still there.

"He says Jasper's hurt. They smelt a vampire, the nomad that Jasper was chasing. The wolves were running after the nomad but they brought Jasper down too. That aggravated him but it was four against one. What the hell was Jasper thinking?" Edward questioned as he turned to me.

Seth turned around and ran in the same direction that we had been heading towards and I assumed that he was leading us to Jasper. Edward nodded to confirm my thoughts and ran with Seth. When I got close enough, I saw Jasper laying still on the ground. I was about to run towards him when a larger wolf stepped in my way. A black one this time with his teeth bare. Sam.

"Please...let me get him out of here" I quietly begged.

Sam turned his head around to look at Jasper and only then did I notice another body scattered further from Jasper. I assume that this was the nomad that Jasper was so determined to attack.

"This is our land. You shouldn't be here. You're lucky we didn't kill him" Edward repeated Sam's thoughts.

I silently thanked him for translating.

"Please, he was just chasing the nomad away. He meant no harm. The sooner you let me by, the sooner I can get him out of here. You know we have no intention of hurting anybody" I tried to convince him.

The black wolf continued to stand in front of me, debating on what to do. I'm usually a very patient person but the moment I heard Jasper whimper in pain, I knew I couldn't wait much longer and it took everything in me to stop myself from pushing the alpha wolf out of my way. I knew it would be a bad move.

"We would help if the tables were turned. You know that" I tried again.

Sam turned his head back to Jasper, who tried to lift his head but failed. Sam made the decision to move aside, allowing me access to my injured son. I rushed over to him as Edward kept a close watch on the nearby wolves.

Jasper tensed as he heard me approach and it was understandable. He had just been attacked and it weakened him, meaning that he was unable to defend himself. I don't even think he really saw me, his eyes were pitch black and unfocused. I moved my hand nearer to his nose, making it easy for him to smell my scent which I knew would comfort him. Not the kind of comfort that Alice gave him, or Esme or Rosalie but at least he was aware that he wasn't just surrounded by a pack of wolves.

Jasper's eyes moved, like he was trying to focus on me but closed his eyes again as he felt a jolt of pain hit him as he had tried to move. He whimpered once more but I could tell he was holding it back. He didn't like expressing pain.

"Shh, don't move, Jasper. Stay still for me" I whispered to him.

I needed to assess his injuries in order to think of how to get him out of here but if he was too injured, I couldn't just pick him up and leave; that would put him through too much pain and I was trying to avoid putting him through that as much as possible.

His shirt was torn and there were holes in his trousers where the wolves had snapped at him. I lift the remains of his shirt so that I could see the damage that lay beneath. There were plenty of faint scars that were clearly created from his past life but his rib cage appeared to be bitten into, crushing his bones; something only a wolf or another vampire could do. I felt his ribs, trying to see how damaged they were but the pain sent Jasper into a panic and he tried to snap his teeth at me which only cause him more pain as he moved his head. He made a noise what sounded a mix of a puppy's whine and a pained whimper as he clenched his fists.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry" I apologized.

There was a smaller bite between his shoulder and his neck which I knew would be difficult to look at. Jasper always had a problem with anybody being close to his neck; especially me, whom he viewed as his coven leader, or more specifically, as somebody who played a role of punishing and even killing the other coven members. Once again, that was Maria's doing; I will never forgive her for what she did. She has destroyed him in so many different ways and we are all struggling to repair that damage.

"We should get him home in a car. He's in too much pain, Carlisle" Edward mentioned.

I knew he was right but we were in Quiluette territory and I couldn't exactly send another one of my children or my wife over here. I needed to do this as safely as possible.

"Run back to the house, get your car, and meet me on the road as close to here as possible _without _going over the Quiluette's land" I ordered Edward.

"But I can't just..."

"Go, Edward" I interrupted him.

He looked very hesitant but he knew I was right. His brother was in trouble and he needed to do this to help him. He took one painful glance at Jasper and nodded. He took off passed the wolves who were still watching us cautiously.

I noticed Jasper begin to shake as he tried to look around but his eyes still appeared unfocused. Could he even see at the moment?

"Hey, it's alright. I'm still here. Edward's going to help get you out of here" I calmed him.

He relaxed just a little but he still seemed visibly afraid so I did the first thing that came to mind and wrapped my hand around his shaking one. His eyes were on me but he was blinking rapidly.

"How's your vision?" I asked him gently.

"Blurry" he whispered back in a rasped voice.

I could hear by the sound of his voice that his throat was dry. He was thirsty and it was very understandable after the amount of blood he lost. With my free hand, I pulled what was left of his shirt back over his body. He had always been very self conscious about the scars he had and I don't think he would appreciate me leaving them out for show.

"Don't leave me" Jasper suddenly whispered.

I don't know what gave him that idea. I would never abandon any of my children, especially like this. Right now he was vulnerable and I was the only one here that could keep him safe.

"Never" I promised.

My phone beeped and I flipped it open to find that it was a message from Edward.

_On my way. Get him out of there_

"This is going to hurt, Jasper. But only for a little while" I told him as I moved his hair out of his face.

I looked back at Sam who was now in human form but the rest still remained wolves.

"Thank you" I murmured.

_For not finishing him off _I thought silently. Yes, the wolves had attacked my son but I should at least be thankful that they didn't kill him the way they had with the nomad. They had stopped once they realized who it was. They knew that he wasn't a threat if he was injured.

I looked back down at Jasper and put one of my arms under his knees and the other arm under his back to pick him up and carry him. His head leaned against my chest as he closed his eyes and tried to forget the pain but I could hear the whimpers that he was trying the stop escaping his mouth.

I took off at a speed fast enough to get Jasper to the car quickly but slow enough to avoid as much pain as possible. The arms that were previously dangling down his side were now clinging onto my shirt for dear life.

"It's alright, I've got you" I murmured as I held him tighter.

Once we were out of the Quiluette's land and onto the road, I spotted Edward's Volvo on the side of the road...and Alice was with him. She must have had a vision of how we were going to get Jasper out. As soon as she saw him, she rushed over to the both of us and held Jasper's hand to let him know that she was there. I could tell that she so badly wanted to hold him tight but she knew that right now, I needed to help him.

I gently moved him into the backseat of the car and placed his head on Alice's lap, knowing that being near her gave him some form of comfort. She ran her hand through his golden locks and watched him sympathetically. As soon as I got into the passenger seat and shut the door, Edward put a foot on it and drove home as fast as he could.

"I told everybody else to go home so they should be there now" Alice announced.

I was constantly looking in the rear view mirror to see how Jasper was doing. He was too weak to even make a sound but I could see the way he was inhaling the scent of Alice's wrist as she continued to pay attention to my son's hair. Her scent was what had the power to keep him calm. If I knew of any other ways, I would have done so myself.

"Hang in there, Jazz" Edward muttered as he sped the car up.

He must have heard some thoughts that had bothered him. It was difficult enough to see Jasper in pain but to hear the thoughts that were going through his mind? I felt sorry for both Jasper and Edward.

As soon as we reached the house, I was out of the car in an instant, opening the back car door as Alice helped me get him out. Once I had Jasper secure in my arms, I rushed to the house door, which Edward opened for me and I headed straight to my study so that I could tend to Jasper's wounds.

The rest knew that I needed privacy to do this and keeping out of the same room that Jasper was in weakened the emotions that Jasper felt so that he wouldn't be overwhelmed with everybody worrying. Besides, the more worry that Jasper felt from us, the more he would feel the need to calm us and he needs his energy right now.

_'Edward, can you take Alice and go out and hunt for Jasper. He need's to feed and he's in no condition to do it by himself' _I silently thought out to my son.

Jasper's wounds would not heal unless he had blood in his system and the longer he went without blood, the more pain that he would be in. With that thought, I sat down on the sofa that was on the far side of my study and pulled Jasper down with me so that the top half of his body was leaning against me and his head was resting against my shoulder.

He felt more lifeless than he had earlier. At least earlier, he had responded with noises of pain and tensing at the touch but right now, he just seemed floppy against me. I had no idea how long it would take for Edward and Alice to bring back blood for Jasper and it broke my heart to see him like this so I went for the quicker, and a tiny bit more painful option.

I raised my wrist to Jasper's mouth and pressed it against his lips, causing him to flicker his eyes open to see what I was doing.

"Drink, Jazz" I murmured to him.

It took him a moment to process the information before he responded but it wasn't the one I was hoping for. Instead of biting into my skin, he just turned his head away from my wrist.

"Jasper" I said sternly.

He pushed his head further into my chest; something that was very unusual for him to do. Jasper wasn't at all that cuddly and despite his current state, I would have thought that he would at least try to get out of my hold but he seemed to give in to it. Very rarely do I ever get to hold Jasper like this.

"Please. If not for me then do it for Alice. She's worried about you, Jasper. Don't make her worry more" I told him.

I moved my wrist closer to his mouth again and he turned his head to smell it; debating whether he should drink or not but he knew what the better option would be and he cared about how Alice feels. He needed to get better for her sake just as well as his.

He bit down onto my wrist and began to drink as I winced slightly in pain, though I tried to hide it. As long as this would benefit Jasper, I didn't care about the smallest pain that I felt. It was nothing compared to what Jasper was going through. I'm guessing that he felt me wince though as he paused for a moment.

"It's alright. Keep going" I murmured to him.

He hesitated but gave in as he started to suck on the blood that I had digested a few days before. He was drinking slowly but after a few minutes, I could tell that he was looking more lively. He was fidgeting and making small purring like noises which was another thing he rarely did; at least that meant he was feeling a little better too.

I removed my wrist from his mouth, deciding that it was enough for now, there was enough blood in his system to help his wounds heal until Edward and Alice get back to give him something to fill him up completely. Besides, given the chance, he may have drunk too much and left me feeling a little on the weak side.

"More" he mumbled as his eyes watched my wrist.

"Wait for Edward and Alice to get back. They're bringing back something for you to drink" I told him.

He responded with a needy whine as he turned his head back into my chest. Yes; very unusual.

"I'm gonna look at your wounds again, okay?" I informed.

He seemed to ignore me but he didn't disapprove of the idea so I lifted his torn shirt again and rechecked his injuries. There wasn't much I could do with vampire injuries other than to keep them clean and make sure the injured is fed to speed up the healing process so I felt pretty much useless. Jasper was away from the danger and now we just play the waiting game.

The blood that I had given him may have had an affect on his responsive behavior but it only had a small effect on the healing which was to be expected because that small amount was suppose to focus on stopping him from looking so lifeless.

I wasn't sure how long until his injuries would take to heal. Some vampires are faster at healing than others and I just hope that Jasper was the fast kind. It was obvious that Jasper was trying to hide the pain he was in but I didn't want him to be hurting. If I had the power to take his pain away, I would. In fact; I would have taken his pain away the moment he and Alice joined our family but unfortunately, even for us vampires, it's just impossible.

"How much pain are you in?" I asked him gently.

I know that Jasper wouldn't answer me honestly but the purpose of me asking was because the answer is usually twice as bad as he says it is. He fidgeted against me and try to move away but he winced as soon as he did.

"Just a little" he mumbled.

That was a lot then. I gently moved him off me so that I could get up but I laid him back down on the couch, careful to avoid any further pain.

"Where are you going?" Jasper panicked.

He sounded so vulnerable that I hadn't expected it. I found it unusual with the way he was relying on me when after all the years I have known him he tends to avoid doing so; never asking me for anything. I'm not complaining though. If anything, I have always wanted to play the role of the much needed father to Jasper. He just never seemed to accept it.

"To get you another shirt. That one is all torn up. It's alright, I'll be back in a second" I assured him.

He nodded uncertainly but he still looked a little frightened. I left my study and rushed to Alice and Jasper's room and went through the drawer that had Jasper's long sleeved t-shirts in it. He refused to wear short sleeved. I picked out a light and dark blue colored shirt and quickly returned to my study. Relief seemed to show on his face as I walked back in.

"Are you able to change yourself or will you need my help?" I asked.

Stupid question. I knew the answer before I finished asking the question.

"I can do it myself" he mumbled.

I handed him his shirt and he put it aside as he tried to remove the one he was currently working. I could already see that he couldn't do it on his own; he just didn't like being viewed as weak.

His shoulder and neck injury made it difficult to get the shirt over his head so I was forced to intervene. It may make him feel a little embarrassed and self conscious but I would prefer that to him knocking his wounds.

Once the shirt was off I helped him get the fresh one over his head and put the left arm through the sleeve while he was capable of doing the other.

Just after we had finished, Edward appeared.

"I brought a small deer back. It's just outside so Jasper doesn't need to go that far" Edward informed me.

"You don't need to treat me like a baby" Jasper mumbled.

"Well, after the stunt you pulled today, clearly we do. You could have been killed, Jasper. Does that not matter to you?" Edward argued.

Jasper turned his head away.

"Don't ignore me Jazz. What the hell were you thinking? And what made you think that Alice wouldn't have followed you in there? You're lucky she didn't" Edward continued.

"Edward" I said sternly. Once I got his attention, I continued. "I appreciate the help you have been today but right now, Jasper needs to drink. Me and him will talk about this after" I said.

I turned my head toward's Jasper as I said the last part and although he didn't see it, he was listening. A talk between the two of us was in need.

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><p><strong>That's part one of two done. I'll try to get part two up as soon as I can but first, my attention is on my other story.<strong>

**Please review and tell me what you think. **

**Any mistakes will be corrected soon**


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter took me longer to update than I intended so sorry about that. Thank you for the reviews and follows!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight.**

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><p><span><strong>Carlisle's POV<strong>

I stayed nearby as Jasper fed from the small deer that Alice and Edward brought back. He doesn't usually like it when somebody is nearby while he is feeding as it makes him feel very vulnerable as well as possessive of his own kill but right now, his eyes were constantly flickering to me. Not because he wanted to make sure I kept my distance but because he wanted to reassure himself that I was still there...just not too close. It may have been because he wasn't the one that made the kill but even then, that would have still left him cautious. Perhaps it was because the events that took place had shaken him up and I just happened to be the one to stop the wolves from finishing him off. It's caused him to believe that I would keep the wolves away if they try to hurt him again. It's true, I would protect all of my children with my life. I just need to get to the bottom of why Jasper had crossed paths with the Quiluette's in the first place. The way they see it, Jasper was the one in the wrong. He was the one who trespassed after all.

Once Jasper finished drinking, he looked up and watched me expectantly. I had hoped that he would be the first to say something but he seemed to hope that I would be the first to speak.

"We'll bury the deer later; I want to talk first" I stated.

He looked down at the ground guiltily and he knew what was coming. I walked passed him and further into the forest and then jumped up into a tree, indicating that this was where I wanted to talk. It was far enough from the house so that nobody would overhear but I also wanted to be nearby because Jasper still needed some time to heal and just in case anything bad happened, I wouldn't be too far from the house. Plus, Alice was in the house and not being too far from her gave him some reassurance.

Jasper looked back at the house for a few seconds before jumping into the same tree...and then on the same thick branch. Again, I was surprised with the effort Jasper was making by being close with me today. It was something that I hoped would last but deep down, I knew that it wouldn't. I wasn't sure how long it would last but eventually, Jasper would return to his usual withdrawn behavior around me. No matter how many times I will prove to him that I care, he won't ever be as comfortable with me like the rest of my children are and as upsetting as the thought was, I knew it wasn't his fault. He was a damaged soul and there was only so much I could do to help him.

Jasper was watching me curiously, probably trying to figure out all the emotions he could feel from me. What could he sense? Pity? Sadness? Love? Worry? Disappointment? I hoped he couldn't sense the last one in fear that he would think that it was aimed at him. In truth, I was disappointed with myself by not coming up with a solution on how to make everything better for him; how to make him not fear me, how to make him understand the difference between a family and a coven and to accept that no physical punishment is involved. I hate seeing the way he cowers his head or exposes his neck whenever he thinks he has done something wrong. I hate the way he never turns his back on any of us excluding Alice. I hate the way Alice is his only reason for being here, the way he thinks this is _her _family and not _his. _And most of all, I hate the way he is waiting for me to turn into Maria; that I am his coven leader and not his father. I know I can't blame him but it still hurt.

This is why despite what happened, I like today's Jasper and I wanted him to stay close.

"I'm sorry"

A sudden voice interrupted my thoughts and reminded me that I wasn't alone. I turned my gaze to my son who was still watching me but now I could see shame behind those golden eyes.

"For today. For putting you and Edward in danger. For almost putting Alice in that position too. I shouldn't have done that" he whispered.

This is what I'm talking about. He seems to think that my worry was based on me and Edward going after him. Why couldn't he understand how much I really cared about him? I was worried about _him. Jasper! _ He had been hurt. He could have been killed and yet here he was apologizing because he thought I was worried about having to protect him.

"What were you doing out there?" I whispered.

Jasper held my gaze for a few moments and then turned his head away to hide his face. His attention was on our house far ahead, probably imagining what Alice was doing right now. My guess was rearranging the closet again. I knew that he wasn't going to answer me so I was forced to continue.

"Jasper, you had me worried sick. You know the danger of crossing Quiluette territory and they could have killed you. Do you have any idea what that would have done to us? Alice isn't the only one who loves you, you know? We all do" I finished.

"I know" he whispered back.

Did he? Or was that the only reply he could think of. I wanted him to talk to me, not these small worded replies, _really _talk to me. I wouldn't go as far to say 'open up' because I knew that he wouldn't. Alice was the only person he was only open with but I just wanted him to speak to me without feeling like a complete stranger.

"Can I at least have an explanation?" I asked, desperately.

He still remained silent and I couldn't tell if it was because he was thinking of what to say or because he really didn't want to tell me anything. I chose to encourage him to say something.

"I noticed that there was a nomad on their land too" I commented.

His body stiffened though he did his best to hide it. His fists were tightened, his jaws were clenched and I noticed that he began to breathe; a method that vampires used to calm themselves down. I could tell that is was a mix of panic and anger and in hope to calm him, I gently placed my hand on his shoulder. I was expecting him to flinch so that didn't bother me but I didn't remove my hand because I knew that if I left it there long enough, he would relax into it. It was something I did to him every now and then as I knew that the flinching and tensing was more to do with an automatic reaction because the smallest part of his mind was still with Maria and the newborns. A gentle touch from me occasionally would remind him that I wasn't her and it was working ever so slightly because as the years went by, his flinching was becoming less and less obvious just like his tensing happened less because he fought against it.

I felt him as he leaned into my touch once he was fully aware that I wasn't a danger and more of a protector and a comfort. He looked up to the sky, observing the dark grey clouds that told us that we would receive another day of rain.

"He was a threat"

My eyes were back on Jasper but he didn't look away from the sky. Everyone outside of this family was a threat to Jasper. What I wanted to know was why he had been stupid enough to chase the nomad into somebody else's land.

"Did he attack you or Alice?" I asked.

He shook his head slowly but seemed unaware of the point I was trying to make.

"So how did you know he was a threat?" I questioned.

That got his attention as his eyes quickly moved on to me in a hardened stare.

"You don't understand, Carlisle. You don't just wait to see if they are friend or foe. All of our kind is capable of killing. Do you think the best thing to do is give them time to attack? You're a leader, you should know this stuff but you don't" he accused, harshly.

When he finished, he looked down, tilting his head ever so slightly and I knew what he was doing. He was waiting for me to punish him for talking to me like that because that's what he was used to when he corrected his previous coven leader. Instead, I moved my hand to the side of his head to straighten his neck; a gesture that tells him that I wasn't going to do it. I would _never _hurt him. The only time my teeth have ever broke somebody's skin was when I changed my wife and three of my children.

"Not everyone is an enemy, Jasper" I stated.

He closed his eyes and clenched his jaws again. He knew this. He knew that I was right but part of his mind still failed to believe me.

"I know that. I know but I just...I..."

Jasper ran a hand through his hair in frustration and my guess was because he hated his struggle to talk to me...or anybody else who appeared to be the dominant figure for that matter.

"What is this really about?" I asked with curiosity.

I just wanted to hear something that would explain his behavior. Not just for today, but for all those nights he spends outside the house, just standing there watching; almost as if he were looking out for something. It was doing that, that got him into this trouble in the first place and I don't think I could let him go out again without worrying about what he was up to.

"I'm scared" he whispered so quietly that I almost missed it.

Out of all the things that have happened today, this was definitely the most unusual. Jasper _never _said anything like this; especially in my presence. It was one of the rules that he had been raised with by his first coven leader; 'never show weakness'.

I felt rather sympathetic towards him but at the same time, rather proud that he could admit something like that to me. But why? What was making him feel so scared? Had this been any of my other children, I would have pulled them into a tight hug by now but I had to be gentle with Jasper when it came to things like this. He was the most difficult to comfort.

"What is scaring you?" I asked with delicacy.

He licked his lips and turned his head around, scanning the area to make sure that there wasn't anybody listening to us. Once satisfied, he looked at me directly in the eyes and only then, did I truly see his fear.

"That she'll come back for me"

There was a silence once the words were said and I was put into one of the common positions where I had to think of the right thing to say to him. Of course he would think that, but I couldn't ignore that it was a possibility.

"And if she does, I won't let her take you" I stated with confidence.

Whether he believed it or not, I would fight for him.

"That's what I'm afraid of. You wouldn't stand a chance against her. She's smart and she wouldn't be alone" he explained as he looked away.

He was speaking as if he was sure that this would happen in the future and he said them like facts. Of course he would. He knew what she and the newborns were capable of and he has only trained us partly on how to fight against Victoria's army a few months back. So if it came to a fight, at least one of us would get hurt but I didn't want to think about it because it wasn't something that would definitely happen and Jasper needed to know that. This was just Jasper being overly cautious as per usual.

Cautious.

He wasn't just spending every night outside...he was on guard.

This was all beginning to make sense now.

"That's why you're outside the house every night" I stated, quietly.

Jasper took a quick glace at me, licking his lips nervously. I could tell that he was analyzing my emotions and thinking of the reason behind them. He took a deep breath and then looked back at me; for longer this time.

"It's not that I'm scared that Ma...Maria will come back for me. I just know that if she does, she would destroy anybody who gets in her way. I don't want her...or anybody else to hurt this family. It's the best thing that ever happened to me and I don't want anybody to take that away" Jasper explained, desperately.

To say that I was stunned was an understatement. Protecting Alice from nomads was something I had no problem believing but I didn't realize that Jasper had also tried his best to protect the rest of us too.

It was my job to be the protector of this family so the fact that Jasper was taking part in that role could actually be a bad sign. Either he didn't fully trust me to keep this family safe from danger or he was doing all that he could do to prevent a vampire attack from happening; especially if Maria was involved as he would hold himself responsible.

"Jasper, nothing will happen to our family" I told him, saying each word slowly so that he could understand them.

He frowned, looking rather doubtful.

"You don't know that" he whispered.

I guess I now understand what Edward had meant when he tried to explain why Jasper did what he did without actually telling me the reason why he was spending so much time outside at night. 'It was one of his habits that kept him sane'. If Jasper spent all of his time locked up inside, especially being paranoid of passing nomads, he really would go insane.

"You're right. Nobody can ever avoid danger, no matter how hard they try. If looking out for danger every night comforts you, then you do that but I don't want you _ever _passing the Quiluette's land again. You hear me? You could have been killed, Jasper. You _do_ understand that, don't you?" I questioned, perhaps a little too sternly.

I hoped that despite my stern tone, he could feel my concern for him. I could see the small winces Jasper made when he moved ever so slightly. He was still hurting but at least he had energy in his system now. He was shaking again but he tried to hide it from me.

"I don't know what came over me" he mumbled, fidgeting uncomfortably.

I didn't find that hard to believe at at all. When Jasper felt threatened, he never could control what he did and it was up to us to calm him down.

"I'm sorry. I...I'm sorry, I'm really sorry"

Jasper was muttering to himself now and he was frustrated. His shaking hands found there way to his head as he rubbed his palms against his forehead roughly. He was whimpering in between his muttering which was probably due to the still healing wound on his shoulder. He appeared to be panicking and I needed to calm him before it turned into a full blown panic attack.

Very carefully, I slide my hand around his back and pulled him towards me, into a hug. I knew that Jasper didn't like hugs because to him, he felt like he was being restrained but right now, it was what he needed. It caused him to tense up once more but I didn't let go.

"Relax son" I soothed.

I rubbed my hand along his spine in attempt to calm him and in return, I could hear him taking deep long breaths, forcing himself to relax against me with his chin resting on my shoulder. At least he was making an effort to improve his reaction to physical contact.

I suddenly felt the lightest touch against my back and that's when I realized that he was returning the hug. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face as he did so. As small as it sounds, he had no idea how long I had wanted to be able to hug my own son without him pulling away, frightened or worse, freaking out.

"I forgive you, son" I whispered to him.

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